


Stay Awake

by jhunieilarde



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27667252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jhunieilarde/pseuds/jhunieilarde
Summary: Scully battles with the chip in her neck who gets activated whenever she sleeps. Mulder races to find a way to help her before something worse than Ruskin Dam happens to her.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	1. Don't Sleep

Sleep…awake…get lost…

It has become a pattern for Scully since she got suspended from work. While Mulder travels the country in search for his long-lost sister, her brain is having a hard time recalling about her actions. Every time she closes her eyes to go to sleep, she loses time. She would wake up in places she does not remember going to or falling asleep into. At first, she would wake up in her living room or on her kitchen floor. It was harmless, she thought. She’s still at her apartment. It’s not like the time she went to Ruskin Dam without remembering she even went there. Recently, it’s getting worse. One night, she woke up near the elevator of her apartment building.

She took measures to prevent herself from going too far. She had installed another lock at her door and put one in the bedroom door. It did not stop her from waking up outside the building, passed out at the alley near the trash the following night. It shook her to the core and it scares her to go to sleep.

Staying awake is the hardest thing she’s ever done. Caffeine is losing its effect on her. In her desperation, she went as far as prescribing herself Modafinil to keep herself awake. Her smoking habit is back to its peak as well. Anything to stop her from repeating the Ruskin Dam incident.

When Mulder returned from wherever it was he went with Diana, Scully was called to Skinner’s office for her reinstatement. To be honest, she wanted to get back to work but she’s not sure whether to be excited about going back to X Files and become third wheel to Mulder and Diana. In fact, she does not want to be in the same room as them but Skinner insisted that she comes so she did.

It’s been almost a month since she and Mulder had seen each other. The last time they spoke was when she was trying to convince him of Diana’s betrayal which he shut down without blinking an eye. After that, Scully left him be. If he wants to remain blind with Diana, it’s not her problem anymore. She got her own demons to fight. Besides, he seems fine working with Diana. He does not need her.

They’re all waiting at the office when she walked in. It felt odd to be back but she’s good at masking her thoughts. She nodded at all of them, including Mulder who is staring at her carefully, before she took a seat.

“Okay, now that we’re complete. I am here to discuss about the X Files. I got permission from above that both Agent Mulder and Agent Scully are reinstated from their suspension. Agent Mulder will return to the X Files but the dilemma comes in with his partner. It is something Agent Mulder and I talked about at lengths”,

Scully held her mask firmly in place. She cannot allow it to slip and be seen by everyone in the room.

“It was not an easy decision but we’ve come to a decision that Agent Fowley should be Agent Mulder’s partner based on seniority. It’s the only fair ruling on the matter. Agent Scully, you will be consulting agent on the X Files and you will also work in various department which will need your skills”, Skinner relayed with such passiveness.

Scully maintained her stoic face. She did not smile nor give any kind of expression. She simply nod and dug her nails deep into her palm.

“Understood, sir. If I may, I would like to take this transition as an opportunity to take a leave of absence”, she blurted out.

She saw Mulder frowned from her peripheral but she ignored him.

“Leave of absence? You just got reinstated from suspension. I thought you would want to jump back in to work”, Skinner argued.

“Yes, I do, sir. I am grateful to be reinstated but I have some things I needed to take care of first before I can fully focus on the job at hand. It seems that my job as a consulting agent will not be needed right away and I have tons of leave credits under my belt, it feels like this is the best time to cash it in as I may not get the chance to go on vacation soon”, she explained while keeping everything business-like.

She rarely asks for leave and Skinner knows that. It is hard for him to deny her request considering she can take leave of absence for an entire month due to her staggering amount of leave credits. He also knows that this is not easy for her to hear.

“Granted, Agent Scully. I give you two weeks of leave and after that you’ll be back at work”, he agreed.

“Thank you, sir”, she got up and straightened her coat. “Permission to leave, sir”, she said without looking on the other two agents in the room.

Skinner nodded and she left without saying goodbye to Mulder.

Her first destination is the basement to get her things out of the office. She quickly grabbed a box and shoved everything on her desk into it. There’s nothing much on it anyway. She then opened her drawers and emptied their contents into the box. After she’s through, she grabbed her coat and put it on and carried the box out of the X Files’ office.

“Where are you going with that?” she bumped into Mulder at the hallway.

It’s just him. No Diana.

“Home. I’m on leave, Agent Mulder”, she replied with extreme coldness.

“You don’t need to get all of that out of the office. We’re still going to work together, Scully”, he said.

She wanted to scoff and roll her eyes at him. Of course, he’s the only person who’s incredibly smart and dense at the same time. He wouldn’t get it and honestly, she does not care. Her head is getting light and she needs to pop another pill before she crashes and wake up someplace else.

“Of course, but I want to get these. Excuse me”, she replied and walked past him heading for the elevator.

“Scully—”

“See you after two weeks, Agent Mulder”, she cut him off and closed the elevator.

Now is not the time to deal with him or his guilt or whatever drama is going on with him. He got Diana for that. She got no one to help her deal with whatever is going on in her brain right now. Of course, she knew it has something to do with the chip in her neck but she can’t exactly take it out. Having a cancer is such a bitch and she wouldn’t want to go through that again.

***

She refilled her prescription first before packing her things in her apartment and took off. She has no particular destination in mind but she knows she needs to get away for now. She will start working on the sidelines when she gets back so she better enjoys her two weeks before she drowns in misery at her sudden demotion. It was not exactly a demotion but it feels like it for her. She’s been demoted from being Mulder’s partner to being his consultant all because of Diana Fowley.

Her journey ended in Sta. Monica, California. It’s like she’s been summoned by the ocean and the sun. It’s refreshing sight. Washington D.C. does not offer such views. She had checked in the hotel and requested for the ocean view which she got for the right price. Scully does not mind paying much as long as she gets what she wants. She popped another pill to keep her up before changing clothes and strolling down the beach.

It feels like heaven to her. She feels free. She let her feet feel the water and the sand. She allowed the sun to grace her skin, the air to brush on her cheeks. She can see herself living in this place, away from conspiracies and the danger of supernatural elements. She’s far from the darkness. Everything is so light and bright as the sun above her.

“Strawberry juice for the lady, to freshen you up”, the bartender said as he slid a glass to Scully.

“I am sorry. I did not order this”, she muttered.

“It’s on the house. It’s sort of a tradition. Whenever we saw a new face, we give complimentary drinks and yes, that juice is spiked”, he explained.

Scully smiled. The bartender is gorgeous. Of course, she noticed but hooking up with someone is not on the top of her priority list. She just wants to enjoy her vacation before she gets dragged back to reality. Her real world is not as enticing as the paradise she’s currently at.

Taking the drink is a mistake because now, sleep is fighting her harder than before. That was just one drink and she feel like she had finished an entire bottle of wine. Scully went back to her hotel room and locked the door. She barely made it to her bed before she collapsed.

***

Cold…it’s unbearably cold. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Perhaps, she forgot to leave a light open. With her eyes half closed, she got on her feet, felt something hard on her bare feet before turning around to get to the switch when she saw an open space below her. She gasped as she stopped herself from falling over the cliff. Yes, she is by the cliff.

Scully panted as the sleepiness in her is now gone. It’s the dead of the night. The water is high and there’s no one near where she is right now. She’s wearing her white nightdress without her robe and she’s very much exposed to be outside. Slowly, she stepped away from the edge of the cliff and went back to her hotel.

To her surprise, her hotel room was wide open. There’s no sign of forced entry. It was as if she left and forgot to close the door herself. She slowly closed the door of her room and locked it despite knowing there’s no use for it. She grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around her body to keep her warm as tears streamed down her face in silence.

“What’s happening to me?”

***

The thrill of the vacation got lost to her after that night. She resorted to her medication and cigarette as she spent her time inside her room. She did not let anyone in, not the room service, not even her calls. She does not want to talk to anyone right now.

“What?” is her response when she finally picked up what’s about the nth time her phone rings.

 _“Whoa, sorry…it’s me, Mulder”,_ he said over the phone.

She pinched the top of her nose before taking a deep breath.

“What do you want, Mulder?” she asked irritatingly.

 _“Why are you in a bad mood? You’re supposed to be lounging in some resort by now. I just want to check in how you’re doing. That’s all”,_ he answered.

“I’m fine, Mulder. Now stop bothering me”, she snapped and hang up.

She did not contemplate whether that’s too harsh or not but she just does not want to talk to anyone. She guarded herself when the night comes, not wanting to wake up by the cliff again. When the sun rose, sleep is threatening to get her so she took another pill and waited for it to work. She’s running out of her self-prescribed medication and she did not bring her prescription pad with her. It will be hell to get a prescription for another doctor and she may even lose her license for what she’s done. She needs to cut her vacation so she can get back to her apartment and prescribed more for her.

***

What she did not expect upon returning to her apartment is Mulder waiting for her by the sofa. It’s unsure whether he was tracking her down or have someone watching her but he knows she’s arriving today. She dropped her luggage on the floor and went to get herself something to drink. Afterwards, she picked up her bag and proceeded to her bedroom. Her last pill was on the plane and she’s already swaying from sleepiness.

“Scully”, he called.

He had followed her in the room.

“I am not in the mood to talk to you or deal with your theories. Save it for tomorrow”, she snapped.

Her bag slipped from her hand as she grabbed the drawer for support. Her system is already crashing. Sleep is pulling her in and she does not want to give in.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She can feel him near her.

“I’m fine, Mulder. Just go”, she answered.

He did not leave. Instead, his hands guided her towards the bed where she immediately fell onto, back first.

“You’re tired. You should rest”, he said.

She shook her head.

“I can’t. I can’t go to sleep”, she muttered while fighting drowsiness.

“It’s alright, Scully. You had a long two weeks. It’ll be fine”, he insisted.

“You don’t understand. I will wake up somewhere else…again, if…I sleep”, she whispered.

She is really fighting it but she’s drowsing off. Mulder heard her and gently brushed the hair on her face away.

“You will not. I am going to stay right here until you wake up. I promise. Just sleep”, he said to her before she finally closed her eyes and allowed the sleep to win this fight.

Mulder remained by her side for a few minutes before he got up and unpacked her bag for her. She’s too tired. He can spare her the effort of unpacking in the morning. Besides, he knows where everything is. He once packed an overnight bag for her. She wouldn’t mind. While properly arranging her clothes, a bottle of pills fell from her bag. It’s empty. Mulder picked it up from the floor and read the label: _Provigil_. He’s no doctor so he looked it up and found its purpose. His eyes glanced over Scully on the bed and realized what she’s been doing for days.

“Oh, Scully…”


	2. Take It Out

Mulder was shocked when Scully asked for leave of absence. It’s not his intention to throw her off or make her feel unwanted. It was an ultimatum that was given by Kersh if he wants to get back to the X Files. Choosing Diana is the only option that he gets to keep them both. If he picked Scully, Diana will be shipped off to another confidential assignment and he knew how much she hated it. If he picked Diana, Scully gets to stay at the bureau and remains a field agent and she can be their consulting agent. It’s a win-win situation for them…or at least, it’s what he thought when he made the decision. He knew she was hurt by that and he saw it on her face when he found her gathering her things from their office.

He did not know where she went the next day. He tried calling her but her phone was off, so he did something drastic: he traced her card. She bought a plane ticket to LAX and from there, she rented a car that took her to Santa Monica. After that, she checked in at Casa del Mar. He seemed to relax after that. She was having a vacation, he thought. She deserved it after all the things she went through. She deserved to relax and enjoy a life that he took away from her.

It was late at night and he’s on his way to his car when Alex Krycek appeared out of nowhere.

“I came in peace”, with his hands raised, Mulder lowered his gun, “You might want to set aside that revenge of yours to listen to what I have to say. It’s about Agent Scully”, he said.

He let him inside his car so they could talk.

“What about Scully?” Mulder asked.

“Do you remember Ruskin Dam?” he nodded, “…the Syndicate got an idea from that”,

“The Syndicate is dead, Krycek”, Mulder cut in.

Krycek shook his head while laughing.

“The Syndicate will never be dead as long as _he_ is alive”, Mulder immediately knew who he was talking about, “They figured out that the chip at the back of an abductee’s neck can overtake his consciousness and control him. Agent Scully’s statement of no recollection about what happened in that bridge inspired them to test it. Imagine what they could do if they managed to slip chips into everyone. People will just become their robots. They can even select a few skilled people and just trigger the chips whenever they want to. Hell, they could rule an entire country if they managed to get a chip to the president”, Krycek explained.

“What does it have to do with Scully? Was it Smoking Man who made her go to that bridge to be burned alive?” Mulder asked, his temper gradually rising.

“No. It was not him. It was _them_ up there. It just gave him an idea. Agent Scully has an impressive amount of resolve, of self-control. If they can manage to control her through the chip, it will be easy to control everyone else. The placement of her chip and her circumstance are unique. You know that. She’s not like the others who were returned with it. Agent Scully took hers before you brought her another one. If they became successful with her, we should all watch our backs before we became their slaves”, Krycek answered.

Tests…experiments…they’re going to do it to her again. They’re going to experiment on her again.

“Are they doing it already? Are they testing her now?” he asked again and to that Krycek only gave him a look before he left his car.

The next day, he dialed Scully’s hotel repeatedly. He needs to know she’s okay. When she answered with his mood on the bad side, he allowed himself to breathe although it threw him off the way she snapped at him like that. She should be enjoying her vacation, right? Why was she so upset?

According to the flight details, Scully was due to return ahead of schedule. He wanted to pick her up at the airport but he did not want to impose much so he just waited in her apartment.

It was the first time he noticed how much weight she had lost. She’s wearing tight jeans, white shirt, and a jacket which informed him that she’s not doing well as he had hoped. She ignored him and he tried not to push but when she dropped that bag and grabbed the drawer for support, he knew something’s definitely up.

Now, staring at the empty bottle of Provigil in his hand. He can only imagine what’s going on in Scully’s head during the last few weeks. She said that if she falls asleep, she will wake up somewhere else…again. It means it already happened and she’s taking Provigil to stop herself from sleeping. That would explain her depleted energy and strength and her weight loss. She’s battling it alone while he’s too clouded with his quest and the X Files. He failed to be there for her when she needs him. He failed to see something is wrong.

He sticks with his word. He stayed with her while she sleeps not only because he promised but also he wanted to make sure she will be alright. It was already past three in the morning when he felt the bed moved.

“Scully?”

She did not respond. It’s like she had not heard him at all. She started walking out of the bedroom and Mulder followed her. When he saw she’s on her way to the front door, he blocked her way and held her shoulders in place.

“Scully wake up. You’re sleepwalking”, he said.

Her eyes are opened but she’s not seeing him. They were glassy, distant, and empty. She’s not there. She’s still asleep inside and something else is taking over her. _The chip…_

“Alright…let’s go back to bed”, he said and turned her around and forced her to walk back to the bedroom.

There’s no resistance although whenever he lets her go, she immediately turns to where the door is so he did not let go of her arm. It lasted for almost an hour before she shuts down again and fell on the bed with her eyes closed.

So, that’s what’s going on…that’s what happens when she falls asleep. As far as he knows, Scully was not asleep when she went to the Ruskin Dam that day. She was wide awake and suddenly drove from the Hoover Building to that bridge. He recalled Krycek saying that incident was not caused by the Syndicate. It was _them_ up there who made that happened. The Syndicate was only trying to replicate that phenomena. He tried to analyze the two events. During the Ruskin Dam incident, the pull was stronger that even when awake, the chip managed to get Scully to that bridge. Now that the Syndicate is trying to copy it, they cannot make it work while she’s awake. She’s too in control. The chip works when she sleeps because her guard is down.

Mulder clenched his fists. This is all planned. The ultimatum given to him. They already know who he’s going to choose. They know that he cannot bear letting go of either Diana or Scully so he chose the option that will keep them both in D.C. It was all a setup. With Scully being free from the X Files, they had separated her from him without him realizing it. How can he be blind about it? They needed him occupied, working still at the X Files, with another partner, so they can experiment on Scully again without interference. He wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for Krycek.

Scully could have told him what’s going on but she was hurt by his decision, so she shut him down and suffered on her own. He needs to find a way to stop them before they take full control of Scully. He just does not know how without affecting the chip’s effect on her life.

***

The sun shone bright on Scully’s eyes which woke her up. There’s a moment of fear before she dared glancing around to know where she is. She does not want to find herself at the edge of a cliff or in the middle of the street. She braced herself and pushed her body up. No. She’s not outside. She’s right in her bedroom, on her own bed. She blinked a few times just to make sure she’s not imagining it. Then, she saw Mulder asleep by the foot of her bed. His head is resting on the mattress while the rest of his body is on the floor. She recalled him waiting for her in her apartment when she arrived and that he had promised her that it’s alright for her to sleep. He stayed all night and kept her inside which means he now knows what’s going on with her and she does not know how to deal with it once he wakes up.

Being a burden is the last thing Scully wants to be to Mulder. She does not want to be a hindrance to his quest, to his truths. She wants him to continue searching for his sister and to fight those who took her.

“Mulder”, she called gently but it was enough to wake him.

He’s a light sleeper so it did not take much to get his attention. He stared at her for a few moment before he decides she’s really awake.

“How are you feeling? Do you want coffee? I can make coffee”, he said right away.

He did not wait for her answer and immediately went to her kitchen and made coffee for the both of them. Scully followed him with a frown on her face. What does he know? In years they’ve been working together, she knows all of his body languages. Something is up and he’s not telling her about it.

“How did you know I’ll be here last night, Mulder?” she asked.

“Wild guess”, he answered without looking at her.

“Bullshit. Why are you here?” she snapped.

Mulder sighed and put down the cup onto the counter to face her.

“I was worried about you when you left. When I found out you’re really on vacation, I stopped stalking your credit card. Then, Krycek came and talked to me”,

“Alex Krycek?” she cut in.

“Yes. He told me about the chip and the Syndicate’s plan to use it to control other people too. They were inspired by the Ruskin Dam incident and they wanted to replicate it”, Mulder said.

Scully took it all in as her brain processed it.

“…and since I got it inside my neck, I am the obvious subject of another goddamn experiment…”

The last two words came out with a frustrated sigh as she turned around and walked back to her living room. Mulder followed her and saw her pressing her temple with her fingers.

“What more do they want from me? Yes, the chip works, Mulder. It works in controlling people. Do you know how many times I woke up outside of my apartment? Few nights ago, I woke up at the edge of a cliff in Santa Monica, for god’s sake! Isn’t that enough?!” she exclaimed.

“I think the goal is to have it activated while you’re still conscious and not asleep”, he muttered and it stopped her hyperventilation.

It’s what happened when she found herself in Ruskin Dam. She was at the office that day and then the next thing she knew, she’s already at the hospital with few burns all over her body. That was not just an hour or two that she had lost. She lost an entire day of memory that time and almost died too. What else can they make her do in full day?

“Take it out”, she whispered.

“Scully—”

“Take this thing out of my neck”, she panicked.

“If we take that out, you’ll die of cancer”, he reminded her.

“I don’t care, Mulder! Take it out!” she yelled and attempted to dig the chip out with her bare hands.

Mulder ran to her and grabbed both hands and restrained her with his arms as they fell onto the sofa. She struggled to free herself but he’s stronger than her. She screamed and trashed but he did not let her go. He’s not going to let her go and let her sentence herself to death like that.

“Sshhh…” he rocked her in his arms and tried to calm her down.

Soon the fight left her body and her screams became sobs. She stopped struggling and he loosened his hold to her body.

“We’ll find another way. I promise”, he whispered and planted a kiss at the top of her head.

“I am so tired of being a lab rat, Mulder. I can’t keep doing this”, she admitted.

Mulder shut his eyes, trying to be the strong one in their partnership.

“We will not let them continue doing this to you. I will find a way to stop this but you have to promise me that you will not try and take out the chip yourself. Promise me that”, he asked.

She sniffled and leaned closer to him.

“Alright…I promise. I will not take it out, just don’t let me hurt anyone, Mulder, because I will not be able to cope with that if they make me hurt someone”, she promised.


	3. Underwater

Scully did not tell Mulder she is continuing her self-prescribed medication to stop herself from sleeping. He had made her a promise that he will find a way to stop the Syndicate from controlling her while she sleeps but he still works at the X Files. His time is divided and so is hers. Being a freelance pathologist at the bureau, she found herself booked for multiple autopsies for days. VCU and other departments took advantage of her availability and since she’s the only pathologist in the building who can get them results with speed and efficiency, they preferred her than the others.

Despite her body complaining at how tired it is, she refused to allow herself to sleep. She keeps on taking the pill and pumps her veins with caffeine to keep her awake. She barely sees Mulder since he’s working on cases with Diana. Of course, she’s holding on to his promise of finding her a way out of her problem but as the days passed by, her faith in him dwindles.

“Ooof! Sorry…” her files scattered onto the floor when she bumped onto someone at the hallway.

She quickly knelt down and gathered her files. There is one more autopsy waiting for her and she’s itching to get it over with so she can go home and take a shower. She smells like death and she wants to get it off of her.

“Are you okay, Agent Scully?” it was just then that she realized that she bumped into Skinner.

“Yes, sir. I apologize. I was thinking about my autopsy”, she answered.

It was not entirely a lie. She’s preoccupied by her job but it’s not all that’s going in her mind. Lately, she’s been drifting in and out. It only lasts for a few seconds but it’s like she’s being caught in a daydream before she realized she remained frozen for a few seconds. It was scary. She fears that the Syndicate is succeeding in getting control over her while she’s conscious.

“I heard you just performed three autopsies this morning. You’re off to another one?” her boss asked.

“Yes, sir. It’s a light day, actually. Four autopsies in a day is nothing compared to last week”, she finally gathered everything and she got back on her feet.

Skinner looked at her carefully. He is studying her. She has not seen him either in weeks.

“You’re overworking yourself, Agent Scully. You should also take care of yourself”, he noted.

She fought the urge to scoff at that. Taking care of herself is the last thing on her list right now. Staying awake is her first followed by don’t drop her self-control or otherwise she will become some other people’s robot.

“Yes, sir”, she replied briefly.

He wanted to say something else but it must have been obvious that she wanted to get away so he let her be. She quickly went to her locker at the lab, changed into her scrubs and white coat before performing her last autopsy for the day. Once done, she finished her report and submitted it to the department.

“Scully”, Mulder called before she can get inside her car.

He halted when she turned to face him.

“What?” she snapped.

She’s too tired. She just wants to get home and submerge herself under warm water and remove death from her skin.

“There’s something I want to tell you but I can see it’s not a good time. Can I come over later? It’s kind of important”, he asked.

Behind him, she saw Diana impatiently waiting for _her_ partner and it soured Scully’s mood further.

“When she lets you off your leash, maybe”, she answered and went inside her car and left leaving Mulder puzzled at the side of the street.

***

The bath helped with calming her nerves and her muscles. Slowly, she allowed herself to find a zone where she can let go of her worries and just be centered. _Another fatal mistake…_

It was already too late before she realized that doing that means letting go of her control. She felt the snap at the back of her neck, like a little jolt of electricity underneath her skin and she blacked out.

***

Mulder has been very busy for the last few days. He has divided his time between working at the X Files and finding Scully her way out of that mind control crap through the chip at the back of her neck. He had called the Gunmen for help and relayed to them the problem. They immediately formulated their theories while he sidelined his search for any other similar case to Scully while on the field. He had to move stealth, so Diana won’t suspect a thing of what he’s doing. It’s not that he does not trust her but when it comes to Scully’s welfare, he trusts no one.

In Oregon, he found another surviving abductee who wore a choker made of copper and silver constantly. The purpose of it was to block the signal from his implant to prevent the aliens from tracking his location and therefore, prevents the Syndicate from experimenting on him. The abductee heard about what happened to his fellow abductees at the Skyland Mountain and Ruskin Dam and he took measures to spare himself from suffering the same fate and so far, it worked for him. He does not sleepwalk or get tracked by bounty hunters.

It was then Mulder decided to cut off his travels with Diana to get back to D.C. and speak to Scully. The Gunmen is already working on the signal blocker for her.

“Agent Mulder, can I speak with you in my office?”

He followed Skinner to his office and frowned when he locked the door.

“I saw Agent Scully earlier and I am worried”,

“Worried? What happened?” he asked.

“She’s overworking herself. She’s been doing autopsies back-to-back. I know her position entails helping out other departments, but it does not mean she cannot say no. I don’t know if you’d notice but she looked like a mess. She’s losing weight. She got dark circles around her eyes. She looks pale. I can’t help but be reminded of that time when she was sick”, Skinner answered.

Mulder sighed. It was the same look he’d seen earlier when he saw her by her car. She looked a lot worse from the last time he saw her at her apartment. He knows why, of course. She has not been sleeping.

“I know, sir. It is because Agent Scully is not sleeping”, Skinner frowned, “I meant literally not sleeping. Apparently, the Syndicate is trying to access the implant at the back of her neck with the aim to control her like what happened when she found herself in Ruskin Dam without any memory of going there. They’re trying to recreate that event in the hope of controlling people for their own benefits”, Mulder revealed.

Skinner slumped on his chair.

“Can they do that? Control Agent Scully’s mind?” he asked.

“Yes. They’ve already had but they can only do it while she’s unconscious because her guard will be down when she’s sleeping. At first, she thought she was only sleepwalking but it got worse so she decided to stop sleeping altogether. I’ve been trying to find a way to help her before she decides to take out the implant herself”, Mulder answered.

The thought of Scully removing the chip that is keeping her alive dreaded them both. They both witnessed what the cancer did to her back then. If she removed that chip, her cancer would return and it will happen all over again. Her cancer has no cure other than that chip.

“Tell me you found a way. She cannot take it out”, Skinner muttered.

“I think I have. The Gunmen are working on making it for her. I am asking for a time off to help Agent Scully”, Mulder confirmed.

“Take as much time as you need. I’ll cover for the both of you. Just make sure to keep Agent Scully alive and herself. Don’t let them win this one”, Skinner agreed and Mulder responded with a smile and a nod before leaving.

***

The boys had called him telling that the blocker is ready for her to use but Scully is not answering her phone. Perhaps, she’s taking a bath. He knows she always takes a bath after performing autopsies to clean herself from whatever chemicals latched onto her skin. He let himself in her apartment with his key.

“Scully?” he called but no one answered.

She could be in her bedroom taking a nap after a long day but she’s determined to keep herself awake so that one has been ruled out.

“Scully, are you okay?” he called again but still no response.

This time, Mulder got nervous. She always answers even when she’s pissed at him. He checked her bedroom and she’s not there. Her pajama has been set on her bed which means she’s in the bathroom. Mulder went outside the bathroom and knocked.

“Hey, Scully…are you still there? I need to talk to you”, he said casually but her lack of response is sending fear into his voice.

He couldn’t wait any longer. It does not feel right. He turned the knob and discovered the door is open. It’s too quiet for his taste, no splashing of water whatsoever.

“Scully—”

The sight rendered him speechless and sent him leaping from the door to the tub. He pulled her out of the water but her grip to the edges of the tub is strong. She’s fighting him. She’s trying to keep herself submerged.

“Scully! Let go!” he yelled.

Her eyes are open and he recognized the same look he saw that night she came back from her vacation. They’re empty. His other hand roughly pulled her hands from the side of the tub and lifted her away from the now cold water. Her whole body is cold. Her lips are almost purple.

Scully started coughing as soon as she cold floor of the bathroom touched her back. She blinked a few times when she saw Mulder before she felt him covering her body with a towel that he grabbed from the shower glass.

“It’s okay. Just breathe”, he muttered.

“What happened? Why are you here?” she asked in panic.

“What’s the last thing you remembered?” he asked her back instead.

He knows Scully is not going to willingly drown herself in her own bathtub. She’s not that reckless. She may want to remove her implant but it’s for the purpose of not wanting to be controlled by the Syndicate, not to end her life. Suicide and Scully are not meant to be put in one sentence.

“I was taking a bath. I was so tired from work and I let myself relaxed. I should not have because I let my guard down and then…then…I felt it. I felt it, Mulder. It’s at the back of my neck and then there’s nothing”, she recalled.

They both stared at each other, realizing what that meant. They succeeded in controlling her while she’s conscious.

“Get dressed. We need to go to the Gunmen right now. They got something that will help you”, he immediately instructed as they got no time to waste.


	4. Sleep...Finally

During the duration of the drive to the Gunmen’s lair, Scully started drifting in and out of herself. Mulder can see it but he cannot do anything other than use his own voice to pull her out of it since he’s driving. Her eyes would suddenly turn empty before she would blink repeatedly, confused at her sudden black out. Then fear would creep in on her and he would reassure her that everything’s fine.

When they arrived at the Gunmen’s, Scully was practically a sleepwalking. Mulder had to drag her inside the lair.

“What happened?” Langley asked when Scully seemed to not see them.

“She’s been drifting in and out since we left her apartment. Is it ready?” Mulder answered then asked.

Byers is still working on it but he’s close. Frohike looked closely to Scully’s vacant eyes and it scared him to see her lost like that. Mulder turned to her and tried to pull her out of it.

“Scully, can you hear me? Come on. You can fight it. Take control. Come back please”, he said but he got no response.

“Why would they want to do this to her?” Frohike expressed.

That is the question of the century. They could have picked anyone in the world and they went with Scully as if she hadn’t suffered enough and she had.

“Scully—”

Her right hand hit him on the face hard that he stumbled on the desk behind him before Scully reached for Frohike, grabbed his throat and started squeezing.

“Scully!” Langley yelled and tried to help his friend who’s being attacked by their other friend.

Scully has proved to be stronger than Langley as she easily got him on the face, knocking him down. She resumed strangling Frohike and despite Byers need to rescue Frohike, he knows the only way he could help is if he finished the barrier for Scully’s implant. Mulder regain himself and grabbed Scully, pulling her away from Frohike. He was successful in freeing his throat from her grasp but it did not stop her from trashing and hitting him good in different places.

“Scully! Come on! You’re stronger than this!” Mulder yelled but she’s not there.

It’s not Scully. His partner is sleeping somewhere inside that body. She continued to fight him and he did not fight back. He never wanted to hurt her. He deflects so he can buy Byers more time but the space around them is not that big and he’s bound to get cornered at some point and that’s going to be tricky.

“Byers, needing a little help here”, Mulder announced.

Byers worked quickly without damaging the barrier. It needs to be perfect otherwise, it will fail and they will never get Scully back. When he attached the final piece, he turned to see Scully furiously attacking Mulder.

“I need her cross!” he yelled.

Mulder grabbed her again and pulled the necklace from her and tossed it to Frohike who gave it to Byers. He had forged the copper and silver into a beautiful chain necklace. It’s made out of pure copper and silver. It’s thick enough to block the signal without being too obvious for its purpose. Byers removed the cross from her necklace and transferred it to the barrier. Since Scully never takes off her cross, it’s only logical to put it on the barrier necklace so she wouldn’t have to take it off.

“Mulder, don’t let her strangle me”, Byers stated and Mulder tightened his hold over trashing Scully.

Byers approached them and swiftly put the new necklace around her neck.

The effect was instantaneous. Scully dropped and if it wasn’t for Mulder holding her, she would have hit the floor. Her energy was zapped and she’s at a loss of what just happened. She blinked a few times to adjust her vision and realized she’s inside the Gunmen’s lair. She did not recall arriving there.

“You’re alright, Scully”, Mulder whispered.

When she glanced over to him, her eyes widened. He’s beaten up. He got a cut on his forehead. His lips are cut too. He got bruises on his face, scratches on his arms and she just knew that it was her doing.

“I hurt you”, her eyes caught Frohike massaging his neck while Langley is nursing his nose, “I hurt all of you”, she muttered in horror.

“It’s alright, Scully. It was not you. You know that”, Mulder said.

Her hands are literally shaking. Her body is shaking. The urge to dig her implant out of her neck is so strong. She couldn’t believe she lost it completely and she hurt Mulder and the boys. It’s something she will never do in her lifetime and yet _they_ made her do it. Were they watching through her eyes while they controlled her like a robot? Were they having fun? She’s at a loss and she is overflowing with anger. She is so sick and tired of being used as a lab rat. She’s tired of being violated and experimented on. It’s not what she signed up for.

“What made me stop?” she asked.

“Your necklace…we replaced the chain on your cross. The chain is made from copper and silver. They block the signal from your implant so no one can connect to it again”, Byers answered.

She studied the new chain around her neck. The color is not the same as her cross but the copper gave it some sort of a rose gold tone to it. If she did not know the purpose it serves, she actually likes it.

“Is this why you’ve been busy running across the country with Agent Fowley?” she found herself asking without looking at Mulder.

“Yes…the only way I can find something to help is through the X Files without anyone suspecting what I do. I met another abductee who wears a choker made of copper and silver to prevent anyone tracking from tracking him and influencing his mind. He started doing that after he had seen what happened at Skyland Mountain and Ruskin Dam on the news”,

She was there at that bridge and she almost died for it. Her stomach recoiled at the thought of how close it was for her and how powerless she was at the time, how powerless she was a few minutes earlier when she hurt her friends.

“It was worth a try and it worked. I cannot let you take out your implant, Scully. I cannot let you die. This way, no one can ever control you again. You’re free from them”, Mulder answered.

Her fingers played on the chain.

“…as long as I got this around my neck”, she whispered.

Despite it being her cross and how it used to make her feel safe, she couldn’t help but feel like it’s some sort of a leash around her neck, a form of cage. Her life, her sanity depend on it, just like her health depends on the implant at the back of her neck. How does her life become like that? Totally dependent on pieces of metal?

“You will not notice it, Scully. You always wear your cross. Don’t think of it as your blocker, just your same old necklace, only prettier”, Mulder teased.

She forced a smile and asked him to take her home. Mulder had thanked the boys for their help. Scully turned out to be more exhausted than they thought. She couldn’t even stand up straight. Mulder had helped her get to his car before driving back to her apartment.

***

“How is she?” Skinner asked over the phone.

Scully crashed on her bed as soon as they arrived at her apartment. Days without sleep has finally caught up with her and her system crashed. Mulder allowed her to get her well-deserved rest and took care of everything. He made sure that her necklace is around her neck before he went outside the room to call their boss.

“She’s doing better. She’s asleep finally. The Gunmen did good at the blocker. It was too close”, he answered.

He heard Skinner sighed on the other end.

“How close are we talking about?” he asked again.

“She lost it and tried to strangle Frohike to death then sucker punched Langley before she beat me up good. That kind of close”, Mulder responded.

“Jesus, Mulder…” Mulder shares the same sentiment, “…and the Syndicate wants to do this to all of us?”

“They are trying to. Scully was their first test. She has a good amount of resolve and self-control. Now that they failed at her, I hope that they will not go with this any further”, Mulder said.

“Well, let’s hope for the best. Tomorrow is Friday so you two can take the day off. Take the weekend to rest. Make sure Agent Scully is going to be alright before you return to work on Monday”, Skinner instructed.

“Thank you, sir”, Mulder replied before hanging up.

He then went inside the bedroom to watch Scully sleep. He, too, is exhausted. Actually, he felt like crap after receiving her punches and kicks but he wanted to hold on a little longer just to make sure she wouldn’t wake up and wander somewhere. A few hours later, Mulder finally gave up and closed his eyes.

***

Scully opened her eyes and saw the streak of sunlight piercing from her window. It’s morning already. Her first thought was filled with horror. _She fell asleep_. She dreaded the idea of waking up somewhere else but when she glanced to her right, she saw her nightstand and she knew she’s at her apartment. A wave of relief washed through her. She did not wander off. The necklace worked. A smile crept up on her face for the first time. Maybe despite being screwed up physically and mentally, she can still live a somewhat normal life. Mulder has a point. She never takes off her necklace anyway. She will never notice it in time. It will be a part of her and when the time comes that they finally eradicated those bastards who did that to her, she can finally take it off and breathe.

When she sat up on the bed, she found Mulder asleep on her chair across the room. The position he’s in looked very uncomfortable. It was only then that she saw the full extent of what she did to him. He got bruises on his face, cuts, and scratches. She felt guilty for doing that to him of all people. She had hurt the man who stood by her through thick and thin… _excluding Diana Fowley_.

“Mulder”, she called gently so she wouldn’t startle him.

She knows he’s a light sleeper and he will wake up at the slightest sound. She watched as his eyes slowly went open and winced when his muscles finally complained from his sleeping position.

“Oh, you’re up…sorry, I dozed off. Do you need anything?” he said while recovering from sleep.

“Why are you apologizing for sleeping?” is her first reaction before she snapped out of it, “I feel fine. Actually, I feel rested for the first time in, I don’t know. It felt like an eternity fighting sleep. I could sleep the entire day”, she answered his question.

He smiled and she loves seeing his smile.

“I know. You looked so peaceful when you sleep. As for me, remind me not to sleep on this chair again”, he remarked as he massaged his neck.

“The next time you wanted to sleep over, take the couch outside or climb up here with me. I will not mind”, she suggested.

The smile grew bigger. He misses this Scully, calm and rationalistic.

“I will keep that in mind but remember that me sleeping over is strictly professional so no attempt of taking advantage of my body while I sleep”, he teased which made her eyes roll.

“Keep dreaming, Mulder”, she scoffed.

They both laughed. It felt good to finally be able to laugh. He glanced over her necklace just to be sure it’s still there. She caught his glance and her fingers immediately went to it.

“I’ll be fine, Mulder. Your solution worked. Thank you. I owe you one…well, I owe you a lot now, but thank you for this. I hate being a robot”, she said.

“You don’t owe me anything, Scully. I owe you everything and I will never ever let you down. I will always fight for you”, he replied.

She smiled at him.

“…and I will fight for you too…always”, he smiled back at her, “…but right now, a cup of black coffee will be nice”, she added.

Mulder laughed. “Coming right up, my lady”, he obliged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue is coming...


End file.
